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To designate the month of September 2010 as | 1 |
"Atherosclerosis Awareness Month." | 2 |
WHEREAS, Ohio strives to improve the health and well-being of | 3 |
its citizens in recognizing the importance of fighting chronic | 4 |
diseases, such as coronary heart disease; and | 5 |
WHEREAS, According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood | 6 |
Institute in the National Institutes of Health, coronary heart | 7 |
disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The | 8 |
United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports | 9 |
that this disease contributes to about one of every five deaths | 10 |
nationally and heart disease, in general, was the cause of death | 11 |
of 27,886 Ohioans in 2006 alone; and | 12 |
WHEREAS, The American Heart Association estimates that the | 13 |
direct and indirect cost of treating coronary heart disease in | 14 |
this country in 2009 will be $165.4 billion, with a staggering | 15 |
one-fourth of the total cost of United States hospital care | 16 |
attributable to all cardiovascular diseases; and | 17 |
WHEREAS, Coronary heart disease is caused by atherosclerosis, | 18 |
the narrowing of the coronary arteries due to the progressive | 19 |
build-up of plaque; and | 20 |
WHEREAS, Atherosclerosis can cause heart attack and stroke | 21 |
and accounts for nearly three-fourths of all deaths from | 22 |
cardiovascular disease, according to the Framington Heart Study, a | 23 |
project of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; and | 24 |
WHEREAS, Because no symptoms may present until an artery | 25 |
becomes completely blocked or severely narrowed, atherosclerosis | 26 |
is difficult to detect; and | 27 |
WHEREAS, It is critical that Ohioans regularly visit their | 28 |
physicians to identify and discuss controllable and uncontrollable | 29 |
risk factors that contribute to the onset and progression of | 30 |
atherosclerosis and to become educated about how this condition | 31 |
can be prevented and treated; and | 32 |
WHEREAS, Leaders in the cardiovascular community, including | 33 |
more than fifteen national not-for-profit organizations dedicated | 34 |
to improving cardiovascular health, are supporting the national | 35 |
campaign--"US AGAINST ATHERO"--and its tour throughout the | 36 |
country, including in Ohio; and | 37 |
WHEREAS, It is the goal of these leaders to raise awareness | 38 |
of atherosclerosis and encourage Ohioans to become advocates for | 39 |
their own health and fellow citizens, by among other activities, | 40 |
visiting the Internet web site, <http://www.usagainstathero.com>, | 41 |
to obtain information and guide conversations with their | 42 |
physicians about atherosclerosis; now therefore be it | 43 |
RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 128th General Assembly | 44 |
of the State of Ohio, designate September 2010 as "Atherosclerosis | 45 |
Awareness Month" in Ohio to support the goal of the national | 46 |
campaign and recognize the importance of raising public awareness | 47 |
about this life-threatening but preventable and treatable | 48 |
condition; and be it further | 49 |
RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives | 50 |
transmit a duly authenticated copy of this resolution to the | 51 |
Governor and the news media of Ohio. | 52 |